Conventionally, an integration technique for executing a chemical reaction in a micro space has been attracting attention from the viewpoint of the high speed property of the chemical reaction, the reaction with a micro amount, the on sight analysis, or the like, so that its study is being promoted vigorously worldwide.
The integration technique for the chemical reaction is also discussed by the present inventors, whereby a photothermal conversion absorption analysis method utilizing a thermal lens effect generated by the light absorption in a sample in a liquid in a micro channel in a device using a glass substrate, or the like has been established so as to pave the way for practical use.
However, according to the analysis method by the thermal lens microscope as mentioned above provided by the present inventors, the configuration of an analysis appliance enabling the same includes, for example, a light source, a measuring part, an optical system of a detecting part (photo electric conversion part), or the like provided complicatedly as a system so as to be bulky, and thus portability is lacking. Therefore, at the time of executing the analysis or the chemical reaction using the thermal lens microscope system, its size has been a factor that limits places or operations thereof.
In view of the circumstances, since the analysis by the thermal lens microscope system has many advantages, such as a wide range of analyzable subjects, miniaturization with a high versatility has been strongly desired.
Then, the present inventors have developed a desktop thermal lens microscope device comprising small size laser light sources as an excitation light source and a probe light source, with the excitation light source, the probe light source and a thermal lens microscope optical system mounted and integrated in a single body so as to provide a compact structure. According to the desktop thermal lens microscope device, all the elements are mounted and integrated in a single body, like a desktop type microscope, so as to successfully miniaturize the conventional huge microscope to a desktop type.
However, for the desktop thermal lens microscope device, further improvement has been desired.
That is, miniaturization to increase portability is desired. According to the miniaturization, the mobility of the ultrasensitive analysis of an ultramicro chemical substance in medical diagnosis or an environmental measurement can dramatically be improved so as to enable the ultramicroanalysis microscope having excellent spatial resolution and quantitative analysis ability.
The invention of this application has been achieved in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a novel palmtop size thermal lens microscope device having portability, and enabling the ultrasensitive analysis of an ultramicro chemical substance in medical diagnosis or an environmental measurement.